A New Life Together
by GreenFantasy64
Summary: She was a sorceress not a witch. The villages, however, still want her to burn for able to use magic. Running away Alys meets up with a man chained up in a forest who feels his life slipping away. Together they must find a new life and escape from a man hell-bent on killing them both.


I _GreenFantasy64_ don't own Dragon's Bait.

Chapter One:

Alys Greenbark jerked back as a branch slapped her in the cheek. She wince on the intense pain and placed a hand over the recent wound. Only she moved her hand out of the way. She glanced down with a frown to look at her hand.

The moonlight not block by all the thick leaves or the heavy clouds showed a smudge of a dark liquid on her palm and fingers. Alys sighed, wiping her hand on her already filthy dress. Mud coated the lower part of her dress with a few torn pieces. It once was a lovely shade of red— a gift from some random man— but now looked like it needed to be burn.

Alys scoffed at the thought and ducked underneath a branch remembering her to pay more attention to her surrounds or least she suffer another wound. Once she find a village far, far, _far_ away from her own she'll get some clothes that someone will foolish enough to leave outside to dry at this time, then she'll burn this dress somewhere in the forest. Maybe she'll even watch with a smile on her face.

The seventeen years old nodded furiously on her plan. After what he did to her she didn't want the dress on her body any longer. He probably even regretted giving it to her as he watched her mother burned. She scowled darkly on that thought but froze in fear on mid-step on a sound that caught her attention: A dog's howl. Her eyes widen when more joined the first one. Including shouting of men voices. They have caught her scent again.

Not wasting any second she took off, running for her life. She didn't care anymore when she pushed every branch out of her way only to slap her in the progress with more force. Didn't care that her dress was getting more shredded. She could hear her raspy breathing, feel her legs burning—

The young woman screamed as her feet no longer pounded the ground. Before she could progress what was happening she was rolling down a hill. Somehow she managed to put her arms around her head in defense. Landing on the bottom of the hill she felt sore and sick in the stomach. It didn't help either that her head was spinning in the inside.

Succeeding to get on her two feet after a couple of falls to her butt Alys saw everything tilting to side to side. "Aaahh," escaped her lips. Placing her hand on one of the trees bark she slouched to help her from falling. Only the sounds of the dogs and men that pushed her away from her spot. Painfully walking she clutched her side. She had a feeling that the next day she'll have plenty of bruises all around her body.

Straining her ears for anymore sounds Alys checked behind her constantly. Silence greeted her. Safe for the owl's hooting and crickets from a distance. Not even a dog or men in sighted. A good thing, Alys thought. A good thing that also made her wondered in disbelieve if they had given up on her.

A bubble of giggles escaped her dry lips.

"And what is so funny?"

Alys whipped around in a flash, looking— even feeling— quite shocked at a sudden man's voice behind her. The color drained out of her cheeks. The voice belonged to a young handsome man; maybe two years older than her. She took a step back and stopped. The man sat in front of a thick tree with his legs crossed each other. His eyes, a strange shade of lavender, looked at her with almost a curious glance in them. His long blondish-white hair needed a desperate brushing from all the tangles Alys could see. In fact, she wondered if her hair was a mess, too. Without thinking she brush her fingers through her hair and made a face of feeling tangles between them. The man rose an eyebrow at that.

She narrowed her eyes at him, puzzling if she should answered him or leave him. Leaving him seemed like a pretty good choice for her but still she stayed rooted in spot. "Nothing— it's none of your business." She said rudely and cross her arms.

He rose an eyebrow before frowning. "Hm. Then why are you, a young girl, doing all alone in a forest at night?" He pointed out.

She ignored the question and instead nodded at the chains around his wrists. "You're a slave or a prisoner?" Alys mentally slapped herself for asking such a question. He _could_ be a dangerous man for all she could know.

He growled, his eyes flashing dangerous that Alys flinched, uncrossing her arms. The young woman took two steps back. "No humans can tame me nor break my spirit," he replied in a cold tone.

A difficult swallowed Alys nodded in a slow motion. "I see," she answered, glad that her voice didn't shake too much. With those two words said she focused deeply on the man. She didn't notice it a first but now she saw the signs.

There appeared sweat on his right side on his face going down to his chin. He looked to been having a hard time breathing— as if he ran miles and paused to rest for a brief moment. And there was reddish around the chains on his skin.

"A silver chain…" Alys muttered to herself.

Something flickered in his eyes that Alys missed it. However, she had a feeling he heard what she just said.

"Are you… are you a Fey?" She asked him.

He responded, "Are you a witch?"

A sharp intake of air Alys looked stunned for a brief second. "I'm a sorceress actually," She confessed.

He tilted his head at that. "A dragon."

Alys feeling confused on his statement responded, "Excuse me?"

The man glanced at her with boredom in them. "I'm a dragon-shifter actually." He used some of her words on her.

She slowly nodded again, letting the information sink in. "How did you knew that I was a sorceress?" She pressed him for some answers.

"I thought of you as a witch at first," He stated and continued on, "I heard the dog's howling and by your appearance and scent it's not hard—

She cut him off. "My scent?"

He blinked. "Yes, Fey and witches with magic in their blood give off a scent different from humans."

Alys felt her lips twitched from the word of 'witch' when she clearly stated she was a sorceress. Keeping her calm she just said, "I see." She glanced up to see the full moon peeking in-between the leaves from the tree they were both under. She then motioned at the chains with a wave of her hand. "Would you like that off— it seems to be causing you pain?" She asked him.

He said nothing, only looked down at what was binding his waists together. She sigh and kneed down to stare eye to eye with him. Placing a hand over his larger hands she felt warmth. She never even knew that her hands had gotten cold.

"Look, I need protection until I find a new home to live. Till then let's work together?" It was risk she knew that. To ask a dragon-shifter who could kill her easily as a dragon for help. But if it meant safety shall he accept she'll take it.

None of them blinked as they looked deep in each other. A small nodded from him he closed his eyes and sigh in a heavy manner. Alys give him a sad smile before immediately chanting to herself. Her hands begin to glow baby blue so she placed it over the chains. Focus in concentrative Alys commanded, "Unlock!"

The chains popped open on their own and fell with a clanked on the ground. The man glanced down and with a huff kicked it away from them. For a brief second she wondered if it hurt him from doing it, but got rid of that thought.

"My name is Alys Greenbark. What's yours?"

Getting up and rubbing his sore waists he took his time to reply, "Selendrile."

She repeated his name, feeling the way it came out. She didn't miss that he didn't give her his last name— if he had one. Selendrile started to stretched to which Alys could hear his bones popping in rhyme. What she didn't expect out of him was for him to take off his shirt next.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Alys cried out in panic. Blushing in crimson red she now wondered if freeing him was a good idea after all.

Selendrile scoffed, "The clothes will just get in the way. Turn around if you wish."

For a moment Alys thought she heard a smirk from the man, but ignored it. Turning around with a huff she hated having her back on him. It was wrong on so many reasons. Alys flinched when behind her a birdlike cry sounded. The ground shook underneath her feet that cause her to flinch. Taking her time she looked over her shoulder to see a dragon. A dragon!

A dragon replace of Selendrile. The magnificent creature stood over several feet over her. His body lean and strong, claws and teeth clean white, his scales radiated glow, and his hair the same whitish-blonde. His purple eyes studied the human unlike the way she stared at awe at him.

She faced him and closed her open mouth. This was the first time she ever got close to a Dragon in all her seventeen years.

Selendrile opened his jaw and almost leaned his head forward that Alys felt a pang of fear. Out of instant she moved back. With his tip of muzzle he pointed at his clothes lying on the ground. Getting what he wanted she fumble to grab his clothes in her arms. A scowl formed at her face when she bended down, but disappeared when she stood up straight. His clothes in her arms as a deformed ball.

Glancing at Selendrile she couldn't help but know that her life had indeed changed overnight as the moon drifted closer to the horizon behind him. No, her life had changed when she had discovered she could use magic. Her mother taught her the basic spells after that. Even made her swore not to use magic for anyone in her home village.

People just didn't trust magic-users.

Now her mother is dead, burned in the middle of the village of being a 'witch,' and Alys would have too if she didn't escape.

"Do you know any towns faraway from here that have an available inn?" Alys asked the golden dragon. A warm bath, new clothes, and a nice bed will make her happy. Then she'll mourn for her mother some other time. As long as she was safe and away from here.

Selendrile opened his mouth but no words came out of it. Alys frowned at that. "You can talk in dragon form, right?" She questioned him slowly, waving a hand over at his form. If he couldn't she'll just have to remember to find a spell that can make him communicate to her.

He didn't answer her only to lay down on the ground, motioning for her to climb his back. Alys rose a slight eyebrow at that. Figuring there was no other choice she unwilling look for a way to climb his back. Some assistants from Selendrile she managed to sit where his neck connected to his body. His clothes still on her arms somehow she found sitting on Selendrile's back was discomforting.

His golden scales pressed hard into her dress to her skin that she worried that it'll dig deep into her flesh. Her legs were spread wide that it burned uncomforting on her thighs. Alys bite her lower lips on the question: How was she supposed to hang on to Selendrile?

There happened to be no rope nor reins for her to hang on to for dear life once Selendrile took off into the air. She supposed on hanging onto his scales but didn't want to on the thought it might make her bleed on the sharpness it looked. Wrapping her arms around his thick neck was another choice through the width and again the scales was the problem for her.

"How am I supposed to hang onto you, Selendrile?" She said, keeping her panic out of her voice through failing miserable on it.

He snorted that made Alys worried even more. Alys groaned when Selendrile opened his wings out. She felt his muscles moved in her legs. A soft whimpered now when he started to beat them on a gentle beat— warming the up first.

"Selendrile," Alys whimpered. Her heart started beating rapidly again and her stomach twisted in a tight ball inside. Fingers trembling she pressed them harder into her clothes and leaned closer to his long neck. His name stuck in her throat that she wanted to whispered out so badly but couldn't.

He took off. She screamed— grabbing hold of his neck for dear life. Leaves and branches snapped and fell down cruelly around them from the severe power of Selendrile's wings. Alys hissed on feeling multiple pains on her back as if a whip was attacking multiple times.

Above the forest now Selendrile flew west from the area. Away from her village that was once her home. Alys didn't shed a tear— didn't even glanced back— on knowing she could never return there again.

Feeling safe to do so she unwrapped her arms and looked at the damage on them. Large gashes of cuts and fresh blood covered them. She winced on all the pain she was feeling. She could feel Selendrile's eyes watching her. "Don't stop," She muttered, "Please, don't stop till we're safe." If he heard her or not, he keep flying. They were partners now, so Alys didn't see no point in saying 'till I'm safe.' Unless of course Selendrile dumps her or they go their separate ways later now.

Alys sighed, feeling tired, and begin to heal herself. Knowing on how weak her magic is Alys knew she could barely heal her arms since she had used most of her magic before during the night. The best she could do is lessen the injuries and then let her magic rest. Her mother did taught her using her magic overuse was dangerous. She shut her eyes and whispered a silent goodbye to her old life.

64~64~64~64~64

So here is a new story for Dragon's Bait, guys. Hope you guys enjoy the chapter one. If I plan on continuing this story I plan on making up to at least five more chapters more. And a heads-up I might rewrite Just friends soon.

Until next time…

~GreenFantasy64


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